The Devil's Eyes
by moonlightrose1991
Summary: He saw her, in the middle of the stage, singing what he composed. Out of hundreds, she was the one chosen. Little did he know, she had secrets of her own, secrets that has killed her very soul. Erik believed he was the only one with something to hide, but little did he know, he wasn't the only Devil's Child in disguise... ALW/Charles Dance EOW
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! So, I have had another breakthrough as I have imagined another story for you all that I think you might like! Since my other story "All About Us" is only a few chapters away from closing, a new story must arise and this is it.**

 **While reading the performance part of this story, please listen to Assasin's Creed Revelations Main Theme, that's what inspired me in this story and that's the song that is being played in this chapter. You can find it on youtube super easily!**

 **Anyways, please Review so I know you guys like it The more reviews, the more I will be inspired to keep writing**

 **Thanks everyone, and happy reading!**

Erik

"Tonight is the night," Erik thought to himself as he picked out a mask to wear. He was used to wearing all sorts of interesting and fascinating masks to different events, but tonight he picked a black warm-leather mask that would be comfortable while sitting in a room filled with hundreds of people. Having a deformity on almost his entire face was a burden and a hardship for Erik Destler but he finally came to terms with it when moving to San Francisco from Paris 6 years prior to this day. There were all sorts of characters that lived in this city, that Erik walking around with a mask didn't seem to phase anyone.

Tonight he would be attending the years "Winter's Night" Gala that is held at the San Francisco Symphony every December 22nd, as tribute to the Winter Solstice. He usually never attended parties, since he was a recluse, but this year was different. A few months back, Erik had spoken to the maestro of the symphony, Paul Dven, and discussed if he would be willing to play one of his compositions. Luckily enough, Paul has been listening to Erik's music for years and was actually inspired by his work. There were a few complications, however, due to the fact that Erik hated every single singer that popped out to be a lead soloist for the piece. After much debate, Paul, Erik, and the owner of the Symphony, Cecil Craveya, decided to do a United States search for someone whose voice would be perfect for the piece. Erik left it to the two other hands so he may be pleasantly surprised to see who they picked. Of course, Erik didn't have any faith because no one could really sing this song, except for the voice in his mind.

Fortunately, only a mere week ago, Cecil and Paul had found a girl from Northridge, CA who they advised could sing this part. They wanted him to hear her voice, but he refused. He wanted to hear on the night of the Gala, and now it was time.

Facing the large mirror that was his closet door, Erik stared at himself, making sure that his outfit was up to par. He wore a three piece suit with a leather black bow to match his mask. Slicking his dark brown hair back, he made sure that none of his deformity peaked through the mask.

"Well, this is it," Erik said as he grabbed his Fedora and coat.

Arriving to the Symphony, Erik could see men and women dressed to the nines. Some women even wore large, poofed up ball gowns, which he thought was rather gaudy and unnecessary. He tipped his driver as he got out of the UBER and started to walk up the stairs to the main ballroom. Erik was never a fan of Christmas, due to the fact that he had never had a normal Christmas. He didn't understand a point of a jolly old man bringing presents to good little girls and boys and coal to the bad ones. In his mind, he would always receive the coal.

The halls and ballroom were draped in champagne and oxblood colored drapes, which matched the colors of the ornaments on the trees and the table clothes. Servers were dressed in the same color pattern. At that moment he noticed that almost all attendees were dressed in that color pattern, which made Erik's suit stand out, which he didn't like.

"Mr. Destler!"

Erik turned to the high pitched voice and saw Cecil walking towards him, wearing a oxblood colored pantsuit with champagne streamers in her mahogany colored hair.

"We have been waiting for you, come, I will take you to the managers box."

Erik turned to take some champagne from the server to his left and turned back to Cecil.

"No need, I would like to sit in the back if you don't mind, just in case." Erik sighed as he took a sip from his glass.

"Just in case, what?" Cecil asked, as she cocked her head to once side.

"The person you picked for this would be horrible that I would just have to leave as fast as possible without making a scene, of course."

Cecil huffed, "Now, Mr. Destler, we have picked the most angelic voice for this piece, you dare to question Paul and myself?"

"We shall see," Erik answered as he sipped his drink.

"Erik, you will sit in the box with me and that's final. Plus, if you really want to sneak out, you may do so without embarrassing the poor girl and myself."

"Fine," Erik said, knowing there is no way to reason with this woman.

A few minutes later, the lights of the ballroom had flickered meaning that the show was about to start, that was when Erik's stomach started to twist and he could feel the nervousness creeping up inside of him. Usually Erik was never nervous, but this song could really make him break out from the Parisian scene and have a new life. The past 6 years he did a few movie scores for Indie movies but nothing that was ever a blockbuster. It paid well, but it wasn't enough. He knew his music deserved more, but it always lacked something, an angelic voice. Would this be the voice he would hear tonight?

There were some lovely scores that came before Erik's masterpiece. A few that were epic like Erik's but they lacked a certain something, others were rather up beat, which wasn't really Erik's taste, but they were still pleasant. Erik sat there, drinking his third glass of champagne when finally his score "Revelations" was about to be played.

"Don't be nervous Erik, Rose has a beautiful voice," Cecil whispered as she grabbed onto Erik's free hand.

 _"Rose…"_ Erik repeated, in his head as he took a final gulp of his beverage.

The music was low at first as the room was dark, causing suspense. Then as the music grew a bit louder, a dim spotlight grew on a moving object. Erik realized that it must be the girl…Rose…

Black thick hair cascaded in loose curls that reached under her ribs, which was a great contrast with her skin that looked almost ghostly white. She walked slowly towards the middle of the stage, holding a microphone in one hand and in the other hand was a fist. Erik could tell she was nervous. Her eyes only stared at the floor of the stage as she finally took her place in the middle of the stage, he had yet to see her face. Her dress was as long and black as her hair, with a plunging neckline that was covered in lace. She wore no jewelry, but she didn't need it, the dress was enough.

Rose then started to sing, still staring at the floor. Erik sat back in shock, without noticing that Cecil smirked at this.

"Erik, you won't hear her properly if you sit back, so ahead and lean at the railing," Cecil whispered, coaxing him to basically gawk at her. Erik would normally find this annoying, but Rose's voice was too beautiful not to gawk. Then finally, Erik saw Rose's face.

As she sang she raised it to look straight towards the light that made her glow. Erik first noticed her big turquoise eyes that were so reflective of the light that shown down on her, they were almost transparent. Erik had never seen eyes like that in his entire life, and he had very gold eyes to start with. Her lips were full as well and were covered with a blood red lipstick to contrast, he assumed, with the dress.

With the final note of her first part, Erik turned back to Cecil.

"Jesus Christ, Cecil. Where the hell did you find her?"

Cecil just put a finger on her lips to shush him and pushed his shoulder back to the girl.

He leaned forward and this time he saw the music surrounding her as she sang. True, there were no words to this score, but he didn't need the words to hear how she sang the notes. Unless she's an amazing actress, he could tell there was sadness when she sang. That was what he was looking for.

Finally an instrumental break came and he just watched her as she walked around the stage in a sorrowful march. It was perfect. Then on some sort of spiritual que, Erik figured. Her gaze went up and met Erik's. Her eyes burned into his like a fire; it was like she could see under the mask he wore, into his very soul. Even if the glance was only a second, he felt that it lasted eternity.

Finally, Rose ended up back in the center, but as the music crescendoed, a choir appeared behind her, singing in harmony with her as she finished the last minute of the song. Erik was amazed at the notes she reached, with no effort whatsoever. After her performance, there was a silence that fell upon the room. After a few seconds, there was a roar of applause as Rose looked at the audience, barely smiled, and walked off the stage. Erik wanted to know this girl; he wanted to know what was inside her head and he was going to, tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi Everyone! I am back! Here's the next chpt! Hope you like!**

She sat there, knowing her performance was brilliant. It always was. Pretending she was something she was not was easy for her and this was just what she needed to get away from her thoughts. She had just performed some composer's work and made it soar, more, she assumed, that the composer himself thought it could. Singing was always a way that Rose could really keep the guilty thoughts out of her head. All those years ago, what she had done, she will never forget. She stared into a squared mirror that stood on top of a make shift vanity. She saw her turquoise eyes stare back at her. Correction, those eyes weren't hers…not really. These masks that laid on top of her real eyes kept all of her secrets inside. One time, she had beautiful greenish-blue eyes that she adored; she got them from her lowly mother, but she still adored them. Her black, raven hair, she got from her abusive father. As she felt tears prick her eyes, Rose heard a knock at her dressing room door and quickly wiped any tears that may have broken through away and ran for her garnet – colored robe. She always loved this shade of red….it reminded her so much of home.

Rose turned to see the door opening and that wretched woman, Cecil, walked in followed by a tall man in a black mask, covering his entire face. She looked closer and realized it wasn't his entire face, his mouth was the only part of him that was visible.

"Rose, this is the composer I wanted you to meet," the woman said as she smiled excitedly. This did not phase Rose whatsoever, it was rare for her to smile anymore.

"Mademoiselle," the tall, masked man announced as he walked over, picked up her hand with his black glove and kissed it with his naked mouth.

His lips were cold she noticed, but did not flinch. She was used to the cold.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, I am Erik Destler." The man said his name like it was a privilege that Rose was able to hear it come out of his mouth. Before she would deem him worthy of her answer, she trailed her eyes to take a good look at the man that obviously wanted acknowledgment. He was taller than her, that was for sure, and he wore all black. She could slightly see his body shape, lean but muscular. It sadly reminded her of…him. Then looking up to meet his gaze with hers she saw intense, golden eyes, staring back at her.

"Rose…Rose Serena, pleasure is all mine." Rose kept her voice low. Her natural voice had been a more feminine one, but after the years, it had grown weary.

"Cecil, thank you for bringing me to her," The masked man called Erik nodded to his companion, "But if you could give us a few minutes." Cecil tried to protest, but Rose could see Erik eyed her and that was apparently the sign for her to leave.

As the woman left the two alone, Erik then turned back to her and gestured for her to sit on the couch of her dressing room with him. Being the woman that she was, Rose declined and sat in her dressing room chair, but turned it to give Erik her attention.

"Now," Rose started, "How may I be of service to you?"

The man cleared his voice, Rose saw him bring his leathered hands together. Nerves.

"My dear, I would like to know, who is your teacher?"

"Oh," Rose sighed, "I have no teacher. I am self-taught."

"Your voice," Erik's voice was like velvet and so very musical to Rose's ears. I was interesting for her to hear a voice like that. Not even HIS voice was like that. "Your voice sounds like it was sent from the heaven's to earth. Did your mother sing?"

Her mother. Her mother was a stern old lady that never let the children sing or play outside the nursery.

"No," Rose answered, not explaining anymore. I wasn't any of this man's business.

"You are different." The man said. Rose smiled in her mind, but there were no reactions in her features. Of course she was different; she wasn't even here, at least not how she wished to be.

"How so?" Rose was curious to see if this man could see through her, none of them were ever smart enough.

"I have never met a woman such as you, there is something about you, Rose Serena, that isn't entirely truthful."

Rose's eyes widened a bit, but she knew she couldn't widen them too much, or her really eyes would be exposed.

"You humor me, Mr. Destler. But I won this contest fair and square."

"I know this, but I don't believe you are just a young girl of 21 that has not had extensive training for a voice that I heard tonight on that stage."

"Can't a woman just be naturally talented, Mr. Destler?" At that, Rose turned back to her mirror, picked up her wooden brush and started brushing her hair so she could take out all that hairspray she wore and to put it up in a braid.

"Yes, but usually there is some sort of purity with an untrained voice, and yours, well, it sounds very trained that's all."

Rose did not answer, she did find this man interesting, but she must keep her distance. She never gotten too close to any man, after the one man that she loved more than anything betrayed her.

The masked man spoke again, "I would like to take you to dinner, as a thank you for singing my song tonight and possibly discuss further business?"

Rose finished her braid and secured it with a black elastic band. Standing up, she took her coat from the coat hanger and put it on. Once done she looked back down to the man sitting on the couch with the black mask and golden eyes.

"To tell the truth, you intrigue me Mr. Destler and I shall grant you some time with me tomorrow evening. Will that be a working time for you to meet me as well?" Rose kept it light, her voice at a low vibration, but as light as the wind.

"I would like that, why don't we meet here? I will retrieve you at 8:00pm. Do you like French Food, Mademoiselle Serena?"

"Yes, very much so."

Erik offered his arm to Rose and she accepted. She knew, however, that she had to be weary of him for she couldn't lose her guard. If he ever found out what she did and who she really was, he would find her a devil in disguise.

 **So what do we think? Please R and R! Would love to hear your thoughts xo**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the new chapter! Hope you all enjoy! Make sure to R+R to let me know what you think!**

Erik stood on his balcony that overlooked Coit Tower, holding a glass of brandy as he pondered. He needed the fresh air, which was for sure. The woman he met tonight had stirred something inside him, but he couldn't pin point it. It had to be her voice, but he had heard some voices and none of them matched a woman of that type of presence. Rose was something different, something that Erik couldn't quite grasp. For a girl who grew up in Southern California, she was everything but the common stereo type. The way she looked at him with her beautiful, but distant eyes and the way she spoke with a voice that sounded near, but was far away. She was almost other worldly in his opinion.

"Rose Serena," Erik sighed to himself, "who are you?" He looked at the dark amber liquid that was in his glass and brought it to his lips again and sipped. He felt his eyebrows furrow in his breathable flesh-colored mask. He wore this one to sleep every night due to the lightweight material.

Erik walked inside and slid the balcony door closed as he looked up at the digital clock that hung above his 70 inch flat screen. 2:30am, it read. Once he saw the time, his body gave him the signal that it was time for bed, he heard a slight scrape against the balcony door. Wide-awake now, Erik turned to face the balcony door but saw no one but his black cat, Ayesha. Erik sighed; he forgot he let her out to take in some air as he pondered.

"Come on in little one," Erik said as the cat rubbed her face on his leg as she walked through the door. Then, Erik noticed something on the cat's collar; A piece of paper had been stuffed under it.

"Beware of L.S." was all it read. Now Ayesha was not even able to get down from the balcony that Erik had, it was 10 floors up, the top floor of the building he lived in. Erik scratched his head at this, more curious on how someone would have been able to climb up to his balcony, put the note in Ayesha's collar without her hissing at the person, and climb back down in the two minutes he had left her out there. At this point, Erik knew there was no way he would fall asleep naturally, so he made himself one more glass of brandy and walked into his bedroom, after he made sure all of the locks on his doors were secure. He had no problem with using his lasso on an intruder, but he was too tired for that as of right now. All he wanted to do was to go to sleep. He slipped the note into the drawer of his bed side table and finished off the rest of his brandy. Ayesha jumped up into bed with him and begged to be pet. Erik obligated and this had put him right to sleep.

The next day went as normal. Erik awoken and went right to the kitchen to fetch some breakfast for his cat and himself. He ate light today, only have 1 piece of toast with butter and 2 eggs over easy with black coffee. There was much to do today before he would meet Mademoiselle Serena.

After showering and calling the restaurant that Erik had said he would take Rose, he got dressed and took the elevator down to the lobby of his building. He nodded at the security guard on his way out, but questioned himself if he should ask him about any lurkers around late last time. He ended up not asking due to the fact that he was not the night watchmen.

It was an overcast day near the symphony; Erik had observed as he got out of the Uber he used to get to the beautiful haul. No chance of rain, but the grey clouds seemed a bit ominous. Walking in, he was greeting by both Paul and Cecil; they both had wide eyed, excited looks on their faces.

"So," Cecil started, being the chatty one as she was, "what did you think about the little flower?"

"Of course you were right, Cecil," Erik bowed his head as he took off his Fedora, revealing his thick black hair to the world , "She does sing most beautifully and I was not disappointed."

"Does this mean you will be writing more for her to sing then? For our Symphony?" Paul questioned.

"Well, it all depends on her really," Erik said as he gestured them to walk back to Cecil's office which was located in the back halls of the building. "I am meeting her here tonight so we may discuss further."

"How delightful," Cecil said as both her and Paul followed him to the back rooms of the Symphony Hall.

As Erik and the two managers, if you will, discussed the future of Rose Serena, a woman dressed in red and black gazed out her hotel window to watch the seagulls fly above the cityscape and thought of nothing but of the past.

Rose POV

She knew that it was wrong to continue to stay in this bright city, but she didn't have any other choice. This was her new home now and with all the money and manipulation she had, she was able to do so. She had nowhere else to go, unless she wanted to start her life again. She had taken out her masks that covered her eyes and tried not to stare into the mirror as she drank her tea, so she walked out to the balcony that was part of her suite to stare out and observe. Her eyes now were too sensitive to the light, so she wore her round glasses, which most people were fascinated by since they all thought they were beautiful and vintage. Little did they know, Rose herself was alas "vintage".

She and her love had the same glasses back when they roamed free amongst the people of England. Round glasses with pitch black lenses and thin, almost wiry stabilizers for them. She had fought only for him, for years she had fought for him, because he was the perfect one and she was the marked on. Ever since they were children she was his protector and she was glad to protect the one person that shared the same love and devotion for her as she did for him all those years, but then…he betrayed her.

It was so many years ago since the tragedy, but she still felt the pain in her cold, dark heart. How could she have agreed to go to dinner with that masked man? Maybe it was for a distraction, for some sort of substance in her life? Rose took another sip of her tea. If only he knew that he wasn't the only one hiding from the world, she was as well. Unfortunately that would never happen since she could not put herself in a situation that would make her vulnerable to him so he may do what Tho….what HE did.

Hours passed her by as Rose sat outside, in the overcast, and analyzed her life. She had not even realized that time had slipped her by. At 5pm, she finally walked back into her lonely hotel room and started getting ready for tonight's event. Although the two never discussed the time they would meet, Rose had advised herself to be there at 7pm and no later due to the fact that even if Erik Destler was late, she could enjoy the architecture and listen to the feint music that came from the walls.

Rose dressed modernly, a dark red turtleneck halter dress that fell just below her knees, black tights that were covered with Black knee-high boots that laced all the way up, as well as a basic black blazer. She looked in the jewelry box in the corner of her vanity and picked out a rose shaped pin that was covered in red crystals. She had hoped that this would be a conversation starter since she really didn't know what to talk about with the man. She knew there would be business talk, but how much of it she didn't know. There was not a slight chance she would want to talk about the past and the pin she found on Haight Street as she passed by a crystal shop.

She had her hair curled as she did have it for last night's performance. It was simple, but elegant as she had learned to keep it. She was used to a thick braid in her long hair that would be twisted on top of her head with hair bands and jewels to keep in secure and beautiful, but she had to remember where she was and keep with the times.

By the time she was done, it was 6:30pm and she grabbed her clutch and walked towards the door. Then she stopped, went back to the vanity one more time and stared at herself. Her eyes… she had almost forgot to put the lenses back in for her eyes. She almost panicked but realized that no one had seen her and that she was still quite alright. She quickly put the lenses in her eyes and then she walked out the door.

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please go ahead and review so I know what you all think! Thanks!xo**


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